


Pumpkins Scream in the Dead of Night

by jolybird



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Camping, Ghost Stories, M/M, slight Courfeyrac/Grantaire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12450054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolybird/pseuds/jolybird
Summary: “Do you know what I feel like?” Courfeyrac said, leaning on Cosette who had her feet tucked up on the empty space beside her. Courfeyrac had already had five hot chocolates that were more Bailey’s than anything else so, no, Enjolras really had no idea what he felt like. “Spooky campfire tales.”Enjolras shrugged and looked out over his friends--Joly already looked terrified, Jehan’s eyes were shining and Grantaire and Bossuet were passing the spiked apple cider back and forth.“If this is a real life murder slash missing person case, please don’t even open your mouth.” Grantaire told him evenly, leaning back in his folding chair.“It’s a ghost story, Grantaire.”He took the bottle back from Bossuet, “Oh god, he’s going to tell you all about the ghost that nearly killed me. Someone come hide in the tent with me.”;;Who knew it would take a night of ghost stories and s'mores for Enjolras and Combeferre to finally talk about their feelings.





	Pumpkins Scream in the Dead of Night

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Logic and Philosophy week 2017. It was originally planned to be much fluffier but the ghost story got a little bit in the way :p. 
> 
> Also, now I REALLY want to go camping lol.

Combeferre stole a marshmallow from Enjolras’ stick and Bossuet, seated on the other side of him, stuck another on the end with a glare. Enjolras had been charged with roasting Bossuet’s marshmallows for the night after his stick had broke in half a whopping three times. Prouvaire had composed an elegy for each of the marshmallows that perished in the flames. Bossuet had yet to get a single marshmallow. 

“Do you know what I feel like?” Courfeyrac said, leaning on Cosette who had her feet tucked up on the empty space beside her. Courfeyrac had already had five hot chocolates that were more Bailey’s than anything else so, no, Enjolras really had no idea what he felt like. 

“Spooky campfire tales.” Courfeyrac said with a nod. Immediately their friends rose to the challenge: 

“The current state of the government.” 

“Your sex life.” 

“ _ My _ sex life.” 

“Real stories.” Courfeyrac clarified in a completely flat voice. Cosette shifted and went to speak but Courfeyrac shushed her, “nothing the nuns told you.” 

“I vote Enjolras.” Combeferre said and honestly he didn’t know if he had a story in mind or just liked hearing him speak. 

Enjolras shrugged and looked out over his friends--Joly already looked terrified, Jehan’s eyes were shining and Grantaire and Bossuet were passing the spiked apple cider back and forth. 

“If this is a real life murder slash missing person case, please don’t even open your mouth.” Grantaire told him evenly, leaning back in his folding chair. 

“It’s a ghost story, Grantaire.” 

He took the bottle back from Bossuet, “Oh god, he’s going to tell you all about the ghost that nearly killed me. Someone come hide in the tent with me.” 

“You remember the last time you tried to hide.” Enjolras replied, calmly and ruthlessly. 

Grantaire turned to Combeferre, his eyes wide, “Combeferre, control your boyfriend.” 

“I didn’t know the two of you had a ghost story.” Combeferre said, looking between the two. Grantaire, with half a smile on his face, despite the terrified expression he was trying to maintain. Enjolras had a hint of a smirk on his face, ready to tell them all the gory details. 

He didn’t mind that everyone called Combeferre his boyfriend. It wasn’t malicious teasing. It didn’t embarrass Combeferre or make either of them uncomfortable. It felt...like the truth, like it was right but they hadn’t had that conversation yet. Things weren’t strictly platonic between them but Enjolras secretly thought both of them were afraid they were misreading the other. If they spoke it out loud, their entire relationship would be irreversibly changed and everything might fall apart. He didn’t think so but, still, it  _ might.  _

“It was a little over six years ago now and it was early November. We were at my grandparent’s home in the country and down the road on the way to Prouvaire’s parent’s estate was this abandoned mansion.” 

“I’m going to be sick.” Grantaire complained but Combeferre was smiling between them and so Enjolras continued. He had been friends with Grantaire for long enough that he would be able to tell if he needed him to stop (not to mention Joly and Bossuet would literally take him out before it got to that point). 

“Grantaire had been drinking too much of my grandparent’s wine--”

“Oh  _ Grantaire _ had been drinking too much?” Combeferre teased lighting, knocking their knees together. 

Enjolras ignored him. “And we decided we’d go check it out. It was probably about two or three in the morning so we gathered up some flashlights and snacks and went to investigate.” 

“Was L’ABC originally a ghost investigation organization?” Cosette asked. 

“Yes! I met them because I followed Grantaire’s screams!” Prouvaire had chocolate on his face from his s'more which was forgotten in his hand.  


Enjolras put his hand up, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The house was perfectly normal until we got to the second floor. My flashlight went out and then my backup didn’t turn on right at the top of the stairs. So our way is lit only by Grantaire’s light--he was at this point already convinced we were being followed so our light was in constant motion as he pointed it in every direction he thought he heard something. And then there was a moan and glass shattered. We went to look for it but then Grantaire swears something touched his shoulder and all the doors on the floor slam shut at once. He went running with the light.” 

Combeferre graciously prepared a s’more and took the stick from Enjolras as his current marshmallow reached just the right shade of golden brown. For a moment Enjolras thought he was going to eat it himself but then he leaned over and gave it to Bossuet. He glanced to Enjolras as their friend all but cried over it and they smiled. 

“I’m in the hall on my own and I start to head off after him. The door to my right slowly swings open and I think I see someone standing by the door. I shout out to them and then it ducks down and footsteps sound coming towards me. I panicked and slammed the door shut before I went after Grantaire.” 

“He thinks there might have been scratching on the door as he ran away.” Grantaire whispered, leaning closer to Courfeyrac and holding onto Joly’s arm. 

“Are you making this up?” Bahorel whispered. 

“Absolutely not. This really happened.” 

“I don’t want to believe you.” 

Prouvaire immediately jumped in to validate the story, “Oh no it really happened. I heard footsteps too. I checked the house for a third person actually as I dragged them out.” 

“Prouvaire is the hero of this story?” Bahorel asked, narrowed eyes. “I thought you three were fucking around when you said you met under supernatural circumstances.” 

“Well it certainly wasn’t Grantaire. Who was at the moment locked in a closet.” 

“It was a metaphor.” 

“He was crying. The window in the room he was in had shattered and there was glass everywhere and what looked like wet footprints but it was dark seeing as our only working flashlight was in the closet with Grantaire and the only light came from the moon outside, I can never be sure. When I tried to open the door to get him out, the handle was jammed. Grantaire realized that he was locked in there and started screaming and kicking at the door. He dropped the flashlight and knocked the batteries loose. He continued to scream and swear there was something clawing on the other side of the wall. Maybe there was. I don’t know. Moaning started up again and now we’re both pulling at the door, kicking at it trying to get it open. One of the doors at the end of the hall opened, I could tell because there was a strip of moonlight--it went dark for a second and then again a moment later and then--”

Something cracked in the woods behind Grantaire and Courfeyrac and a shadowy figure loomed just outside the reach of the firelight. 

Enjolras was on his feet, a marshmallow stick brandished out in front of him like a sword. Grantaire was on the ground, somehow beneath Courfeyrac and Bossuet’s legs. 

Marius threw up his hands, looking around at his friends with wide, panicked eyes as he stepped into the light. 

Joly just laughed at the sight of him, clutching Bossuet’s arm tightly, “oh my god I was so scared.” 

“When did you leave? Why don’t you have a flashlight?” Courfeyrac demanded, his accusing tone still slightly breathless. Next to him, Cosette and Eponine were laughing hysterically. 

Marius held up a flashlight, “Battery died. The only reason I even found my way back was because I could hear Grantaire screaming from across the campground.” 

Combeferre tucked his fingers into Enjolras’ back pocket and tugged him back down. He plucked the slightly charred marshmallow from the end of the stick and piped it into his mouth. Enjolras glared at him from the corner of his eye but Combeferre just pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

Courfeyrac made a noise and Enjolras ignored him. Courfeyrac had made his opinions transparently clear on several occasions. 

“Okay, what happened next. Enjolras is telling us his and Grantaire’s ghost story. It’s how they met Jehan.” 

“I hear someone calling out downstairs. And eventually Prouvaire came up the stairs with a flashlight and right as the light hit me, the door clicked and Grantaire came tumbling out. And we survived and met Prouvaire and got out of that house. The end.” 

“You’re a horrible storyteller.” Prouvaire told him and Enjolras waved to him, indicating that he had the floor. 

“No we don’t need to know the story of what went on in that house and the reason it was abandoned.” 

“Yeah we do. Who tried to murder Enjolras and Grantaire!” 

“I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.” 

Enjolras leaned back into Combeferre who wrapped his arms around him and let Prouvaire tell them all about the horrors that mansion had witnessed. 

After that story, Grantaire and Courfeyrac fought for several minutes before Grantaire successfully got the subject changed. Combeferre ran his fingers through Enjolras’ hair and he shut his eyes, content to enjoy the warmth of the fire. 

He fell asleep and woke up to Combeferre saying, “come on, let’s get to bed” with the fire reduced to embers in front of them. Enjolras yawned and let Combeferre help him up and went over to their tent with Courfeyrac who was silent until they laid down. 

“Enjolras, I know you’re content with the way you’ve been going for the past however many years but listen to me--you’re both going to feel so much better once you just clear the air and get everything out in the open. Become the power couple we all know you are.” 

“We’re already a power couple.” Enjolras whispered back to humor him. 

“You’re going to be the death of me.” 

The tent flap opened and Grantaire followed Combeferre in, nearly tripping onto Enjolras and Courfeyrac as he did so. 

“What are you doing here?” Courfeyrac asked, his voice a little weird and that gave Enjolras an idea. 

“Preventing a threesome.” Grantaire told him, as he tried to take his shoes off without knocking Combeferre down. 

Someone from a nearby tent laughed and Grantaire smiled. 

“Prevent it in Joly’s tent.” Courfeyrac told him.  
  
“I’m pretty sure he have Bossuet have done it while I was in the same bed so I’m pretty sure my presence wouldn’t hinder anything.” 

“Are you joking?” Enjolras asked, but honestly, he already believed him. 

Grantaire ignored him and pushed Combeferre forward, “sleep on the other side of Enjolras I want the middle of him and Courfeyrac.” 

Enjolras was jostled as they made room for the four of them and waited until everyone was settled and had stopped fighting over the blankets. “In reference to what we were talking about before, you two would make a power couple too.” 

“Who too?” Courfeyrac asked, alarmed. 

“You and Grantaire.” 

Bahorel laughed loudly and Marius, from the distance, said, “Oh that startled me.” 

Grantaire and Courfeyrac were silent and Enjolras pushed himself up on his elbow to look at them. He could meddle too. 

“In what way would we be a power couple.” 

Enjolras shrugged and opened his mouth to tell them but Grantaire rolled over and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders, “tell us in the morning.” 

“Babe.” Courfeyrac gasped, offended and Grantaire just laughed and didn’t say anything else. 

Enjolras didn’t care if he was going to sleep or not, “I’m serious. One--you two already figure out the logistics of all our fundraisers and parties. Two, you two would consistently have the most envious dates.” 

“I thought you weren’t drinking tonight.” Combeferre murmured. 

“Don’t joke. I’m serious.” 

Combeferre wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer to him, “let everyone sleep. You know they’re going to be fighting over breakfast in the morning.” 

“How hard can--” Courfeyrac began but Combeferre must of kicked him because he laughed, the blanket was almost pulled off of Enjolras and he didn’t say anything else. The night was cold and the ground was hard but with Combeferre all but wrapped around him, he found he didn’t care very much at all. 

 

* * *

 

Enjolras woke up first and scooted his way out from under Combeferre’s arm and out the front of the tent with only Courfeyrac threatening him bodily harm once. He zipped the tent flap back up and turned to survey the camp. 

The sky was a foggy, muted blue and he went over to the car to grab one of Combeferre’s sweaters from the backseat. It was freezing. He wrapped himself up and went to the firepit. Starting a fire couldn’t be that hard. 

Fifteen minutes later and all Enjolras wanted was coffee. Just coffee, that’s all he asked. He had ash on his hands and his pants and probably his face. He had tried to create a spark with rocks, with twigs, with the sheer force of his will but nothing was working. Feuilly had made it look so easy yesterday. 

He didn’t hear Combeferre approach until his hands slipped around his waist. 

“Don’t be condescending.” Enjolras warned and leaned back into him. 

“I’ve brought the lighter. We’re not stranded out here.” 

Enjolras made a noise and Combeferre laughed. He moved away from him to start the fire and Enjolras wrapped his arms around himself and frowned as he sat down in a camp chair. 

Combeferre got the fire going and Enjolras put on water for coffee. 

“Enjolras, I’ve been thinking and--” 

The sky was still the same hazy blue but now there was a golden tint to the sky and bright orange beams of light were starting to streak through the trees. Enjolras had to be the one to say things first, “I’ve had feelings for you for so long I don’t know where they began. We’ve both been worried--”

“--we’re going to somehow ruin things because--”

“Your friendship means the world to me. You’re my best friend but--

“I want more.” 

“Me as well.”

Combeferre smiled and laughed under his breath. Enjolras stepped forward, put a hand on the back of Combeferre’s neck and then pulled him in and kissed him. It wasn’t the first time they kisses but it felt real. Enjolras smiled into the kiss and pulled away. Combeferre kissed him again and Enjolras was perfectly content to just keep doing this for the rest of the morning. The others could deal. 

The kettle went off over the stove, forcing them to break apart. Enjolras grabbed it and went about making coffee. 

Combeferre sat down near the fire, holding his hands up to warm them, “So, when the others finally drag their asses out of bed, I’ll tell them my boyfriend made them coffee.” 

“Only because my boyfriend started the fire for me.”

Combeferre smiled, leaning into Enjolras when he came to sit next to him on the bench and, how could they possible think they’d ruin things if they talked? Courfeyrac had been right, of course he had. This is what Enjolras wanted, this is what they were missing and it just felt so right to be finally at this point. 

A quick zip of a tent sounded and they both looked towards the source of the noise: Bahorel’s tent. There was a fierce whispering and then Courfeyrac gasped dramatically,  his tent shuffled and then there was complete silence for about a minute and a half. Then the tent imploded and he screamed. 

“Holy shit--” Grantaire said from inside his tent, “holy shit--Joly wake up--Bossuet, Musichetta listen to this--send me that video, Courf--”

“Guys they’re literally standing ten feet away, they can hear you!” Feuilly called. Enjolras shut his eyes and Combeferre groaned. 

“Joly and Bossuet better get used to camping because being out here is the only way they’re going to be able to see you when you’re trapped haunting these woods for the next thousand years.” Enjolras called over, unable to keep the smile from his voice. Grantaire screamed and his and Courfeyrac’s tent rustled violently. Courfeyrac hissed for him to not use him as a shield. 

“No,” Joly half moaned, half cried, “don't kill him he’s--” his voice broke off suddenly and there was complete silence for the next minute and a half from him. Then he laughed, “oh damn, congrats guys that was stupidly cute.” 

Combeferre put an arm around Enjolras’ waist as he chuckled, “come on let’s go for a walk.” 

“Yeah, okay,  _ walk _ .” Grantaire teased as he emerged from the tent, frowning at the chill in the air, and Enjolras just let Combeferre lead him away. 

“They’ll find your rotten corpse in the spring,” he called over his shoulder. 

Joly howled, Bahorel laughed and Marius, Eponine, Jehan and Cosette’s tent started whispering. 

“Send it to Marius.” Courfeyrac grumbled, sounding like it was going to go back to sleep. 

“Bahorel took the video!” Grantaire protested and Enjolras smiled as he laced their fingers together and he led Combeferre down to the lake to savor a bit more of the morning quiet.  



End file.
